This is a CU Colorado Springs student blog for urban economics the economics of social issues.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Assassination, Government Officials and Liberty.

Recently, in conversation it dawned on me, Nancy Pelosi would take the presidential throne should the president and vice president be killed. My synapses were flooded with horrific images and not just the ones that are normally conjured when one looks upon the ruined skeletal visage hidden behind a wall of makeup three pounds thick. No, my mind recoiled at the thought of someone that is so openly anti-liberal laying a foundation for further affronts on liberty in much the same way Lincoln; whom, contrary to my build up of Mrs. Skelator, is the focus of my writing today.

Lincoln comes to my immediate attention for two reasons. Not only was Lincoln assassinated but he is considered by many to be a great American hero because of his manner of death. Furthermore, Lincoln is responsible for the most salient and enduring anti-liberal action undertaken by a president, the American civil war. When I was just a stripling in middle school I can recall doing a presentation on American presidents. Each student was assigned one president, as you can guess, I had Lincoln. I also remember concluding my presentation on, “the greatest American president” with the end of his life and something along the lines of, “those last four days were the happiest days of his life.” Lincoln, of course, was actually Americas greatest tyrant and is responsible for the death of over 600,000 men and the American liberal spirit.

The question then becomes, if Lincoln was in fact responsible for the death of all these men and and innumerable violations of property how should he be held responsible? I would advocate a market solution, the violated parties seek restitution or injunction. If a thief is to break into my home would I not take action to prevent and recover my losses? This motivation to protect ones property is actually a result of market forces. The butcher, next to the baker sees that his neighbor has been robbed because he left his back door unlocked every night. The butcher not wishing to be victim to a similar fate locks his door. In this way, the bank has the safe, the home owner the shotgun.

Government officials, being constituted of humans like you and I are no exception. For example I pay my neighbor to murder my wife I'm no less responsible for the murder of my wife than my neighbor. Yet, the above is exactly what government officials around the world do. When an official in the production of say, votes, encroaches on another's property, in say eminent domain, and does not have to account for the costs of his action these actions will tend to be oversupplied. In the case of Lincoln and his Proclamation of Blockade Against Southern Ports the injured parties should, in a market driven society, seek injunction and restitution to make further officials aware of all costs associated with their actions. We can even apply the principle to a smaller scale, such as police officers.

Finally, we come to my title, Assassination, Government Officials and Liberty. Assassination is warranted on a far larger scale than it is currently practiced. There is a reason why leaders around the world have come to a consensus on the matter, why all government officials from the lowly street thug with a badge to the president and chancellor with a pen are hailed as unconditional heros upon their slaying, why assassination is considered one of the most barbaric things one can do in a modern society. The only thing barbaric is a cowardly official hiding behind a title or an army to impose his will on the unwilling.